Culture

سد الفجوة بين الجنسين في مجال التعليم في الشرق الأوسط

Aug 31, 2018 Moha Ennaji

فاس – تشهد منطقة الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا تخلفا عن بقية العالم في مجال المساواة بين الجنسين، مما يقوض آفاق مستقبل النساء والفتيات وآفاق بلدان بأكملها. وباتت هذه الفجوة عميقة وأكثر حدة خصوصا في مجال التعليم.

في العديد من بلدان الشرق الأوسط وشمال أفريقيا، يعاني الجميع من نواقص في التعليم، بسبب عقود من الصراع والتهجير والضيق الاقتصادي. في جنوب السودان، على سبيل المثال، يبلغ عدد الأطفال غير المسجلين بالمدارس 2.2 مليون طفلا - وهي من أعلى المعدلات على المستوى العالمي، وفقًا لتقرير جديد للمبادرة العالمية حول الأطفال غير الملتحقين بالمدارس. في أجزاء كثيرة من المنطقة - لاسيما الجهات الريفية والفقيرة والمزدحمة بالسكان - حتى الأطفال الملتحقين بالمدارس لا يتلقون تعليماً جيداً.

ولا تزال الفتيات الشريحة الأقل حظا في التعليم، حيث يشكلن غالبية الأطفال خارج حجرات الدراسة. ونظراً للفوائد الاجتماعية والاقتصادية العديدة المرتبطة بارتفاع نسبة التحاق الفتيات بالمدارس - بما في ذلك نمو الناتج المحلي الإجمالي بشكل أسرع، والحد من الفقر، وانخفاض عدد حالات زواج الأطفال، وانخفاض نسبة المواليد، وتحسين صحة الأطفال - فإن الحاجة إلى معالجة الفجوة بين الجنسين في التعليم واضحة للغاية.

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0 Comments on this paragraph, 4 Comments on this article

Sarah Killington Sep 2, 2018

Interesting insight into a critical situation in the MENA region. There is the obvious wonderful example of a successful case, where illiteracy is almost 0%: Palestine.

The deeper problem that could face these societies' educational future is the choices women are forced to make later on.

Even in the West, where high school and university education for women is not a problem anymore, many women's ambition to have a successful career has to face the harsh realities of founding a family and having children. A large number of women with amazing professional potential havr to choose between career and family. Not to mention the inequality in pay, which makes things worse.

So, beyond education, women's careers should also be preserved. Education is just the first step.
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Souad Sayed Sep 2, 2018

An excellent in-depth view of the status of education in Mena and an urgent call for taking this topic more seriously as it well affect the future of national and international socio-economic stability.
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j. von Hettlingen Sep 2, 2018

Moha Ennaji urges leaders in MENA (the Middle East and North Africa) to address the gender gap in education. He is concerned about the plight of the girls there, who make up “the majority” of out-of-school children and youth. Apart from economic and religious reasons, social prejudice against women also plays a role. Last year a study carried out across MENA showed sexist attitudes, with men’s views of equality being at odds with hopes of many young women.
The author highlights the consequences of denying girls universal access to education. Female labour force participation has been an important driver and outcome of economic growth and development in emerging economies. It proves that “many social and economic benefits” are directly linked to access to quality education (beyond secondary school), which contributes to “faster GDP growth, reduced poverty, fewer child marriages, lower fertility, and better child health.”
Indeed, “decades of conflict, displacement, and economic malaise” had taken a heavy toll on education not just for girls and women, but on “entire countries”. It may explain why MENA is “lagging behind most of the rest of the world.” The region had experienced the highest rate of population growth of any region in the world over the past century, thanks to modern medical and public health services. This exacerbates the challenges that this region faces as it enters the third millennium.
The author points out the socio-economic and cultural obstacles in many MENA countries, that girls and women have to grapple with. Deprived of their rights to health, education and opportunity, they are forced to marry at a young age, give birth, raise the children and be a home-maker, if their husbands can provide for them. Very often they find themselves trapped in a cycle of violence and poverty for the rest of their lives. If politicians do not address gender inequality, religion and traditions that fuel child marriage, the number of women married as children would rise dramatically, with devastating consequences for the world.
Not only do most leaders in MENA lack the political will and economic resources to educate women, they do not even try to urge their citizens – both men and women – to exercise birth control. It is unclear whether they realise that the issue is tabu, or they do not care that a shortage of family planing will make life extremely tough for impoverished families with half a dozen children to live on the small income of a toiling breadwinner.
There is a long way to go for men to fully accept and support equality for women in the MENA region, as in many parts of the world. The 2017 study found the most significant factors in how people viewed equality were their wealth, education level and the example set by their parents. Both men and women were more likely to hold equitable views on gender if their mothers had more education and fathers were more involved in domestic tasks.
The author says, “not all MENA countries have a wide gender gap in education.” He points out that in Bahrain, “the majority of the top 10% of high school graduates are girls, and more women attend university than men.” Although Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni king, whose family holds the main political and military posts, it has a Shia majority population. The kingdom called in the Saudis to crack down on protesters who demanded a greater say in early 2011, because the Shias claim there is systematic discrimination against them in jobs and services. Over the years, however, Bahrain enjoyed increasing freedom of expression, and human rights situation seemed have improved.
Jordan and Tunisia, have also “made significant political and financial commitments to boosting education, resulting in remarkable progress toward reducing illiteracy and closing the gender gap.” Once again the two belong to the most reform-minded countries in the region. Tunisia was the wellspring of the 2011 Arab uprising. Mass protests unseated President Ben Ali, and the country's transition had been relatively peaceful. King Abdullah of Jordan dismissed his government in 2011 amid growing demands for political reform. He appointed the first of a series of prime ministers to oversee the introduction of political change.
Unfortunately other MENA countries are unlikely to improve “access to quality education for low-income families and rural populations.” Even if that happens, boys and young men are being prioritised for these benefits, as their sisters and other female compatriots get the short end of the stick, because prejudice and discrimination are embraced by a larger public.
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سد الفجوة بين الجنسين في مجال التعليم في الشرق الأوسط

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